All over the country, April 14 this year is observed as 125th birthday of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. It is heartening to note that for the first Time, the United Nations in collaboration with the Kalpana Saroj Foundation and the Foundation for Human Horizon will observe the 125th birthday of Ambedkar at its headquarters in New York.
Bhimrao took birth on April 14, 1891 in Mahar community in the village Maho of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. His father Ramji Sakpal was a Subedar Major in the Indian Army. Being born in lower caste he was discriminated in every field and had to struggle hard to prove that he is second to none.
Ambedkar completed his graduation from Elphinstone College, Bombay in 1912. With the financial support of Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaikoward of Baroda, he pursued his higher studies in Columbia University of United States and got his Master’s Degree in Economics in 1916. Back in India he assumed the office of Military Secretary to the Maharaja of Baroda. He earned laurels anywhere he went in United States, but on return to India he met with nothing but utter humiliation. Even the intervention of Maharaja of Baroda was of no effect. Deep-seated prejudices of the caste Hindus shocked him. He came back to Bombay in November 1917 and worked in the Business house of a Parsi Businessman and in November 1918 he was appointed as a Professor at Sydenham College in Bombay. He made his mark as an inspiring teacher but this made little difference to his plight on social humiliation. He was not even allowed by his higher caste colleagues to drink water from the pot of the staff common room. With disgust in March 1920 he resigned from his position and went to london to resume his studies with the financial assistance of Maharaja of Kolhapur. He completed his D.Sc. in Economics and Bar-at-law at Gray’s Inn and returned to Bombay and started his career as a lawyer in Bombay High Court.
Bhimrao Ambedkar was a Professor, lawyer, but this could not give him peace of mind. His objective was to establish an Indian society characterized by the values of equality, liberty and fraternity, where the depressed class will have equal rights with others. Ambedkar tried his best but realized that Brahmanism stands as a great hindrance for establishing an equitable society. ‘Caste in India’ his first major scientific investigation into the structure of Hindu society was presented by him way back at the Columbia University, New York in an anthropology seminar, on 6th May 1916 which was a great revelation about caste distinction before the western world.
On March 19, 1927 he organized a meeting of depressed classes where more than ten thousand people participated. He asked the people to be self reliant, courageous and told the people that they have the right to drink water from the public ponds and enter the temples. He asked the people to be united and fight for justice against inhumanity.
Ambedkar was a great admirer of Mahatma Jotiba Phule whom he has described as “The Greatest Shudra of Modern India who made the lower classes of Hindus conscious of their slavery to the higher classes and who preached the gospel that for India social democracy was more vital than independence from foreign rule.” Ambedkar was also a great admirer of Gopal Krushna Gokhle, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Ranade and called upon all sections of people to emulate their example.
A crucial movement in Ambedkar life took place in the year 1931, when Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi clashed over the issue of the interest of untouchables. Ambedkar refused to accept Gandhiji’s claim that he represented the untouchables. Ambedkar’s role in advocating the political rights of depressed class is unforgettable. In the first and second Round Table Conferences held at london in 1930-31 he argued that the depressed classes are completely different from Hindus. They should be provided with similar facilities as enjoyed by Sikhs, Muslims and Christians. On this issue difference arose between him and Mahatma Gandhi.
In August 1932, the Ramsay MacDonald Government proclaimed officially the Communal Award, which conceded the demand for separate electorates for the untouchables. Gandhiji opposed it strongly on the ground that it will break up the unity of the Hindu community, and announced his fast unto death if the scheme was not withdrawn. Ambedkar was equally determined to have it implemented. But Gandhiji’s fast and his deteriorating forced him to accept a compromise after the intervention of leaders like Sapru and Jayakar. The compromise was that joint electorates with reservation of seats for untouchables should replace outright communal electorates. Better known as the Poona Pact, the compromise was reached on September 24, 1932. later on, after thorough scrutiny of Hindu literature, Ambedkar has said, that Manu codified norms, design rules and regulations to oppress two categories of Human beings, the Shudras and women. This created in him a desire to forsake Hinduism and adopt a more rational religion which he did much later. On October 13, 1935 at Yeola in Nasik in a conference of depressed class he declared, “I was born in Hinduism, but I will not die as a Hindu.” In May 1936 speaking at the Bombay Presidency Mahar Conference he advocated the need to abandon Hinduism. It is interesting to recall that Gandhiji during his early life in South Africa toyed with the idea of leaving Hinduism for Christianity or Islam, but eventually decided to remain a Hindu.
From 1942 to 1946 Dr. Ambedkar was appointed as a Member in the Working Committee of Vice-Roy of India to deal with labour matters. In 1946 he was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Bengal, not from his native state Maharashtra. In August 1947 he was nominated by the Constituent Assembly as a member of the Drafting Committee which had the wisdom to elect him as the Chairman. This involved the very onerous task of presenting the draft Constitution to the Assembly, clarifying and defending its provisions. He won universal acclamation as the architect of Indian Constitution. He joined as Cabinet Minister for law on 15th August 1947 in Nehru Government, but resigned in September 1951 being disillusioned by Government’s foreign policy and indifferent attitude towards Scheduled Caste. In March 1952 he was elected to the Rajya Sabha. He was honoured by Columbia University of United States in June 1951 with the degree of ll.D (honoris causa). Columbia University lauded him as one of India’s leading citizen, a great social reformer and a valiant upholder of human rights.
On October 14, 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with about four lakh of his followers. Venerable Mahasubir Chandramani, an 83-year- old monk inducted him into Buddhism.
On December 5, 1956, he called his Private Secretary Rotu and expressed his desire that his followers should be informed that they should struggle until they are given equal rights and a casteless society is established. Ambdkar, a great son of India, considered as Boddhi Sattwa breathed his last on December 6, 1956.
The Government of India conferred on him Bharat Ratna in 1990. Ambedkar can be safely compared with Moses and Martin luther King for his work towards the downtrodden.
(Dr Mohanty is a former Vice-Chancellor, Utkal University of Culture Mobile- 9238300265)